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Post by Zavi on Jan 25, 2011 14:08:26 GMT -5
Okay, so I know we all worship this movie and it's basically untouchable. But I'm interested on what things you would tweak, add, or take out if you took the reins on this movie. You can frame this as a pseudo-remake (looking at animation technology from today's perspective) or focus on tweaking what's there a la 1989 Go completely wild with ideas since this doesn't exactly replace the actual movie. Personally I'd LOVE to see what they'd do with a darker, more HCA-esuqe version of this movie. As much as I love the romanticism I'd love to explore the themes of sacrifice and "you can never go home again" a bit more.
Discuss away, lovies.
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Post by WickedElphie on Jan 25, 2011 19:15:50 GMT -5
I have to completely disagree. I'd love to see a HCA style mermaid done well but NOT framed around the Disney version. It just wouldn't make sense since you'd have to completely rewrite the characters and their motivations to get there anyway. Ariel was based on the mermaid in the story, Eric on the prince, Ursula on the witch etc. but they're not the same characters.
For my 'remake' I'd want it to be longer, include a good chunk of the new songs, give Eric and the mersisters more development. Maybe make it more explicit that Ariel's desire to be human predates her meeting Eric. I'd like Nessa to have more screen-time. I'd also probably tweak the ending so that taking Ursula down was more of a team effort and make it so that the marriage is clearly a fast-forward to a couple years later. I'd probably also bump Ariel's age up or make it ambiguous.
So in short take the musical's good ideas and throw in a few of my own.
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Post by Zavi on Jan 25, 2011 21:05:08 GMT -5
I definitely agree with the longer (of course) film idea with some of the new songs. Although I'm hesitant to say One Step Closer fits movie!Eric 100%. It would be adorable up to twelve but I'd make it slightly different from the stage version. Tweaked choreography, dialogue, and perhaps some lyrics. But I like it the way it is.
And of course I agree with more screentime for Nessa. I would make her mini-song a whole song or give her one at the palace or while seducing Eric. Sorta like this:
Although I love the fact that this was Disney's last hand-painted film, I would LOVE to see how the visuals would work with today's technology. Shadows and light and color and depth and texture and LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE *art freak*
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Post by fridamoonbeam on Jan 25, 2011 22:43:10 GMT -5
Eric and Nessa is my guilty pleasure ship xD I blame Mare for it partly lolz But I seriously love that video too!
*nods* One Step Closer was a cute song and I do enjoy it but it doesn't really say all that much about Eric's personality.
I'd love if they did it as a live action around the Disney version but more like adding depth to the movie. I won't parrot back what's already been said here. lolz I think purist fans of the movie have a perseption of the characters and what they wanted, but perhaps be more overt about it.
Its not a perfect film, no but I think doing a film again would be a better idea then a stage play. There's so much more you can do with cameras/animation with water sequences then on a stage
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Post by Aquisha on Feb 2, 2011 17:47:39 GMT -5
If I could rewrite/change TLM, I would definitely start by making Eric's mouth actually move when he says "No, I won't leave you!" before he and Ariel are separated by Ursula's massive crown.
Of course, I would want more of Eric or at least some clarification on where his head is at the time we meet him and what his circumstances are (ie where are his parents, does he have friends, why has he been mopping around the castle?). And I think I would take the tour of the kingdom section and turn that into a song for Eric; maybe a little internal monologue singing like "Something There" in BATB. And I feel like that way, if the tour was extended into a song, we might get to see a Ariel and Eric interact together a little more. That would be great too, a scene where the two of them have just a little time together "talking" before they're beset by talking marine life, so maybe a little something in the boat ride before "Kiss the Girl"?
And, because it's just the best of the new songs in the musical, I would want "She's in Love" in there! I adore that song; it's so cute!
So, yeah, I'd basically just want more Eric and Ariel and everything else is good with me! As far as a live action TLM, for me not so much. I'll stick with "Splash" which I feel is about as good as it gets.
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Post by Coral on Feb 2, 2011 22:31:24 GMT -5
I agree with everything that's been thrown out.
I'm also with Jess in that I wouldn't want to see the Disney characters take on a more HCA tone. I want that to be done separate from Disney so I don't feel like Ariel and Eric are being destroyed. Plus I just don't think Disney is capable of doing justice to the almost gothic tone of the original story.
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Post by fridamoonbeam on Feb 3, 2011 16:12:18 GMT -5
Aww Splash, Its a classic xD
Did you guys know that Walt actually planned to have Eric marry Nessa and Ariel to die, but Ariel wouldn't even end up as a 'daughter of the air' she'd just die. Guess he didn't think Bambi's mama dying was depressing enough xD.
I'm glad they didn't go that route, really glad.
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Post by faya27 on Feb 3, 2011 18:58:54 GMT -5
I agree with everything that's been thrown out. I'm also with Jess in that I wouldn't want to see the Disney characters take on a more HCA tone. I want that to be done separate from Disney so I don't feel like Ariel and Eric are being destroyed. Plus I just don't think Disney is capable of doing justice to the almost gothic tone of the original story. Yes, my thoughts exactly. I don't want any of the Disney characters going through the same route as the HCA version. If they show Eric marrying Vanessa over Ariel, then my childhood would die. |
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Post by WickedElphie on Feb 6, 2011 11:26:23 GMT -5
Well it wasn't really 'Eric' and 'Nessa'. It was a short that would have been much closer to the HCA version. So the Prince would have been marrying the human girl he saw on the beach after he was rescued.
But it would have been super-depressing anyway.
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Post by Zavi on Jun 16, 2011 20:13:45 GMT -5
I had an art teacher who thought that Walt's possible opinions on women influenced the high-browed manipulative females you see in a lot of animation today. The style exists in Lady Tremaine and Maleficent and it extends through Ursula. So I'd believe that he would include some nasty female figures. Gotta love those high cheekbones and burning stares.  Question: Would any of you further emphasize Ariel's desire to be in the human world OVER her love for Eric or is that not necessary? A lot of people get the idea that she's selfish or only after a man but I'm wondering if that's just how she's portrayed in merchandise/media rather than the actual film. Her recklessness doesn't help her case but aside from a few tweaks I think her attitude comes off right. |
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Post by Coral on Jun 17, 2011 12:25:43 GMT -5
I don't think you can really separate Ariel's love of the human world from Eric. When he enters the scene, the two things fuse. It's not just abstract for her anymore. The human world becomes flesh and blood. Without him as the catalyst, Triton never would have found out how deep that love went, and I don't think she would have sought out a way to be human.
Ariel is not selfish, not at her core anyway. Yes she has selfish moments, but don't we all? She's sixteen. Overall, giving up everything she's ever known to find someone who may not recognize her, it not really a selfish act. She gives up everything for him. Sacrifice and selfishness cannot coexist.
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Post by Zavi on Jun 17, 2011 17:18:01 GMT -5
I think Ariel (and perhaps Aladdin, you could argue) ended the era in which princesses fell in love with what the princes represented--sometimes rather than the princes themselves. Ariel and Eric had greater bond beyond that, but I think the catalyst of her infatuation was that a) the ship scene offers a pretty good resume and b) Eric represents everything Ariel loves about the human world. Freedom from judgment and the fears of her father, warmth and unconditional kindness, and adventure.
I feel like media nowadays has to conform to a certain standard for 'the empowered woman' that I don't agree with 100%. Yes, I love a confident and powerful female character, but please don't slap me in the face with "Look at our modern edgy feminist values! Beat your man up because you're a woman and you can!" Characters are human before they are gendered and should be treated as such!
But the point of that slightly long-winded rant was that I feel like people get the wrong idea about Ariel because she isn't like the standard heroine we see today. She's confident and powerful in her own way, but she makes poor decisions and often acts irrationally. Those mistakes bite her in the butt and she gets back up, learning from them. Seems pretty human to me.
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Post by Coral on Jun 17, 2011 17:48:16 GMT -5
Ariel, Belle and Jasmine definitely ended the era where the princess falls in love on an abstract level. They each fell in love with a real person.
In my mind Ariel already had the abstract love. That was clearly evidenced in her grotto and relationship with Scuttle. Seeing Eric allowed it to solidify and the more she watched, the more real it became. I don't even know if that makes sense but there it is.
In a way, Belle and Jasmine had an abstract love too. Belle with the charming romance hero and Jasmine with someone who would love her for the person she is and not the princess she was born as. The Beast and Aladdin allowed the abstract quality to solidify and assured them that yes, there is someone out there who understands the core of my being.
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Post by faya27 on Jul 17, 2011 17:01:55 GMT -5
One thing that I think should also be added was an explanation why Ariel was fascinated with the human world? Why is she the only mermaid that is interested in the human world while the other merfolk were terrified of humans?
I also like to add a reason why Triton was afraid of humans. Something along the lines of "the humans killed his wife and since her death, he has always hated them." Then again, if that was added in the film, people would lose sympathy for Ariel and worry that Eric might hurt Ariel.
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